In 1910 Sean McCarthy’s grandfather Justin McCarthy joined Rodway as an accounting clerk. In his quest for success, Justin worked his way up to becoming the General Manager and went on to list McCarthy Rodway on the London Stock Exchange in 1936.
In the early 60s Justin McCarthy was succeeded by his son Brian McCarthy, Sean McCarthy’s father. His tenure saw enormous growth in the motor industry with the McCarthy name becoming the most trusted name in South African motoring and the biggest motor retailer in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2003 Sean McCarthy broke away from McCarthy Retail Limited with the intent to create his own dealership group and so the SMG story began.
Continuing the succession of the McCarthy legacy in South African motor retail, Sean’s son Patrick McCarthy joined SMG after completing his tertiary education. Patrick is currently the Dealer Principal of SMG Rocks, the iconic MINI Dealership situated in the heart of Umhlanga.